Policy and practice on language of instruction in Ethiopian schools: findings from the Young Lives school survey

Education policies regarding language of instruction are hotly debated in countries where the population speaks multiple languages, including English. On the one hand, there is research to suggest that educating students in their mother tongue results in improved educational outcomes because it faci...

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Main Author: Vujcich, D
Format: Working paper
Language:English
Published: Young Lives 2013
Subjects:
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author Vujcich, D
author_facet Vujcich, D
author_sort Vujcich, D
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description Education policies regarding language of instruction are hotly debated in countries where the population speaks multiple languages, including English. On the one hand, there is research to suggest that educating students in their mother tongue results in improved educational outcomes because it facilitates understanding of new concepts and strengthens affective measures such as self-esteem, identity, motivation and creativity. On the other hand, some argue that mother tongue education disadvantages students in some contexts, particularly where languages are not sufficiently developed to express modern concepts in fields such as mathematics and science. It is therefore important to investigate the benefits and challenges of language of instruction policies on a case-by-case basis since education is never conducted in a vacuum; rather, the effects of educational policies are necessarily influenced by broader structural forces and individuals’ lived experiences. This paper uses qualitative and quantitative data from the 2010 Young Lives school survey to examine the arguments around language of instruction in the Ethiopian context.
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spelling oxford-uuid:0d77f27e-fdf5-40b0-b0fe-85514c8593ee2022-03-26T09:40:48ZPolicy and practice on language of instruction in Ethiopian schools: findings from the Young Lives school surveyWorking paperhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_8042uuid:0d77f27e-fdf5-40b0-b0fe-85514c8593eeFamilies,children and childcareChildren and youthEducationPovertyEthnic minorities and ethnicityEnglishOxford University Research Archive - ValetYoung Lives2013Vujcich, DEducation policies regarding language of instruction are hotly debated in countries where the population speaks multiple languages, including English. On the one hand, there is research to suggest that educating students in their mother tongue results in improved educational outcomes because it facilitates understanding of new concepts and strengthens affective measures such as self-esteem, identity, motivation and creativity. On the other hand, some argue that mother tongue education disadvantages students in some contexts, particularly where languages are not sufficiently developed to express modern concepts in fields such as mathematics and science. It is therefore important to investigate the benefits and challenges of language of instruction policies on a case-by-case basis since education is never conducted in a vacuum; rather, the effects of educational policies are necessarily influenced by broader structural forces and individuals’ lived experiences. This paper uses qualitative and quantitative data from the 2010 Young Lives school survey to examine the arguments around language of instruction in the Ethiopian context.
spellingShingle Families,children and childcare
Children and youth
Education
Poverty
Ethnic minorities and ethnicity
Vujcich, D
Policy and practice on language of instruction in Ethiopian schools: findings from the Young Lives school survey
title Policy and practice on language of instruction in Ethiopian schools: findings from the Young Lives school survey
title_full Policy and practice on language of instruction in Ethiopian schools: findings from the Young Lives school survey
title_fullStr Policy and practice on language of instruction in Ethiopian schools: findings from the Young Lives school survey
title_full_unstemmed Policy and practice on language of instruction in Ethiopian schools: findings from the Young Lives school survey
title_short Policy and practice on language of instruction in Ethiopian schools: findings from the Young Lives school survey
title_sort policy and practice on language of instruction in ethiopian schools findings from the young lives school survey
topic Families,children and childcare
Children and youth
Education
Poverty
Ethnic minorities and ethnicity
work_keys_str_mv AT vujcichd policyandpracticeonlanguageofinstructioninethiopianschoolsfindingsfromtheyounglivesschoolsurvey